Fucoidan Ameliorates Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) in Rats

Devanand Shanmugasundaram,1 Corinna Dwan,2 Barbara C Wimmer,2 Shalini Srivastava3 1Compliance and Operations (Toxicology), Vedic Lifesciences Private Limited, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; 2Marinova Proprietary Limited, Cambridge, Tasmania, Australia; 3Clinical Development Department, Vedic Lifesciences Private Limited, Mumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaCorrespondence: Devanand Shanmugasundaram, Vedic Lifesciences Private Limited, 102 Ace Business Center, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Tel +91-7208943410, Email [email protected]: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a major urological health issue for men globally. Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, displays diverse bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory effects. This 28-day study examined the effects of Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan on testosterone-induced BPH in rats.Methods: Forty-eight Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups; G1- vehicle control, G2- testosterone alone BPH control group (3 mg/kg), G3- finasteride (10 mg/kg) + testosterone, G4- fucoidan (40 mg/kg) + testosterone, G5- fucoidan (400 mg/kg) + testosterone, and G6- fucoidan alone (400 mg/kg). The animals were observed for clinical signs, body weight, feed consumption, prostate weight, prostate index, and biochemical markers such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin- 1β (IL-1β), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) in serum. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were evaluated in both serum and prostate.Results: Fucoidan significantly prevented an increase in prostate weight and prostate index induced by testosterone. DHT levels in the prostate of the intervention groups were significantly lower than in the BPH control group (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference was observed in serum levels. Similarly, a significant reduction was observed in serum and prostate testosterone levels in the intervention groups compared to the BPH control group (p < 0.05). Biochemical analyses showed PSA levels were significantly lower in the fucoidan groups compared to the BPH control group (p< 0.05). Although not statistically significant, fucoidan groups showed a trend of reducing IL-1β and TNF-α levels. Fucoidan demonstrated pro-apoptotic potential in its ability to decrease BCL-2 and increase BAX. Histopathological evidence revealed fewer microscopic lesions in the fucoidan groups compared to the BPH control group.Conclusion: The results suggest Undaria pinnatifida fucoidan can reduce testosterone-induced BPH symptoms in SD rats.Keywords: fucoidan, Undaria pinnatifida, benign prostatic hyperplasia, brown seaweed, dihydrotestosterone